Give the Green Light
by Green Phantom Queen
Summary: Sidestory to "Cherry Picking". Souji Rippukan is about to meet his online girlfriend in the real world for the very first time. Too bad he gets involved in hot springs hijinx, murder, an accidental trip to a strange forest, and having to fight warriors that transform through large fruit. Tonight is a night he'll never forget. [Luna Iwashimizu x Souji Rippukan] , [First POV]
1. Give the Date

**Give the Green Light**

Author: Green Phantom Queen

Rated: T

Summary: Souji Rippukan is preparing to meet his online girlfriend for the first time in real life. What he isn't expecting are crazy escapades in the hot springs, cosplays, zippers that take people into a strange forest world and, worst of all, a girl who hides combat capabilities that match his own. A night of craziness will ensue for Kyoryu green, one that he'll never forget.

Note: This is a side-story to "Cherry Picking" and "Confessions on a Dance Floor", but is not needed to understand either story. Takes place after episode 13 of "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger" but before episode 20. This story is dedicated to MasterDramon, who without his stories, I wouldn't have expanded my own.

**1: Give the Date**

"_Give someone the green light": To give permission for something to happen_

_-Proverb_

"_Save a boyfriend for a rainy day – and another, in case it doesn't rain."_

_-Mae West_

What did I get myself into?

Picture my current situation in your mind's eye: you've just gone to meet your girlfriend that you've chatted through online chatrooms for the first time in a faraway city while your friends give you different directions as to how you're going to approach her. Throughout the whole evening, you somehow, unexpectedly, get involved with boys who get a little too touchy-feely and give you stupid nicknames, and then you and your girlfriend find yourself involved with a murder and monsters that come from zipper-like portals. Then, just when you think you can get a better handle on this entire situation, you're about to get yourself beaten by these strange people who transform into armored warriors from fruit falling from the sky, and the motorcycles they ride on look like their inspirations came from some flower-obsessed girl.

My girlfriend and I are outmatched, seven-to-two. Between us, we only have two guns, a sword, a variety of batteries, a giant claw-like weapon, and no signs of backup. Or at least, I _hope_ my backup knows where I'm at...I myself don't even know what's going on. Our opponents have an assortment of weapons: spears, hammer, guns, a bow and arrow, and swords that somehow double as guns.

"We have to stand tall," I tell my girlfriend. My girlfriend nods her head. It feels weird calling her 'girlfriend'. I've never had one, and being in love is sort of nice. I can't think about that now. Luna and I have to stand tall. If not, then standing here in the middle of the night in some weird forest with even stranger vegetation would be wortheless. My brain is racing. I have no idea what's going to happen...

But I at least know how the heck I got here.

**0-0-0-0-0-0**

My name is Souji Rippukan, age 16. I am a trained swordsman who goes to Kirisaki Priavte High School. I don't have a lot of hobbies, aside from training my sword skills, but I have a group of friends who support me. Together, we are the Kyoryuger—people who call upon the spirits of dinosaurs to fight against the Deboth Legion. Their mission is to absorb the emotions of happiness, sorrow, and anger from humans so they could awaken their lord who has been kept in slumber for millions of years.

This whole adventure started last January, after one of my classmates, Rin Katsuyama, had called me an idiot, beating me with her school bag just because I handed one of her friends a set of barrettes. I mean, why should Rin be the only one who received a gift? Her friend was also doing her best to help out at school. Unfortunately, my friends weren't taking this lying down.

"_Oh my_!" Ian noted in English, shaking his head. I was currently nursing a swollen cheek with an ice pack, as the other Kyoryugers looked at me with pity in the Spirit Base. Even Torin was hiding a laugh over my predicament.

"You need to understand a girl's feelings better, Souji-kun," said Amy, placing a hand on my shoulder. I sighed, trying to put that day's events behind me. The only reason they were pitying me was because they weren't on the receiving end of Katsuyama's wrath. I wanted to see them having an over-emotional girl nearly strangle me to death and then having to be their personal punching bag. Katsuyama could really throw a punch.

"I can see that she just can't **see **how you tried to protect her," Nobuharu joked. Ugh, last thing I need was one of those 'old-man' jokes. Now was not the time.

"Well," Daigo clapped his hands together. "We're not going to do anything about Souji's love life just by standing here. We need to get him to find someone to prove that he is capable of having feelings for another."

...What?

"_Wow! Great idea!_" Amy chimed in, also in English. "Let's get him onto an online chatroom and see if we can start from there!"

"Um, I don't really think this is a good idea," I stammered, not liking the look in everyone's eyes. I looked to Utsusemimaru, or "Utchy" for short, for guidance. Knowing that the man had no idea what the heck the Internet was, and more specifically what a chatroom consists of, I would be in the clear. Hopefully.

"So...Utchy," said Ian, turning to the samurai. "What do you say in helping this poor _boy_ out?"

I looked at Utsusemimaru with a look that read, "Please save me." Unfortunately, the 400-something year old samurai didn't understand modern body language. Instead he was smiling and bowing toward me.

"I agree with Amy-dono," Utchy replied, nodding his head. "It will be so _'pafeckt'_. Even if I don't know anyting about 'online' or 'chatroom', everyone shound find love. Plus when you see Katsuyama-san again, she will understand just what a great guy you are, Souji!"

Great. Just freaking great. Even the _samurai_ knew that I had dating problems apparently. What was I getting myself into?

"Let's go!" said Daigo, dragging me by the arm. "We are off in the pursuit of love! It's about to get wild!"

I just wanted to commit _seppuku _right there and then.

**0-0-0-0-0-0**

At Uzuki manor, Amy hooked me up to this online chatroom/forum thing called "Family Circle". The plan, apparently, involved me making my own online portfolio, and the first girl—not GIRL or "guy in real life" as Amy explained—that signed in and said hello would be the girl I was dating. Why did it have to be this way?

"All you need to do is make a username and that's it!" Amy clapped her hands together. "Come on Souji-kun, try it out!"

I really didn't like having confrontations like this. I was sitting in front of Amy's laptop, fingers on the keys as the first thing came into my mind was...

"Ripper?" Nobuharu read aloud. There was some silence before he started laughing out loud, hands on his stomach. I was blushing red as Amy clicked the confirm button and I was soon thrust into an empty chatroom. There was some silence for a minute or two, my heart pounding against my chest in nervousness.

"Come on, Souji," said Daigo, shaking me. "Type something! Don't be shy."

"R...right," I stammer. I slowly typed out a message.

**Ripper: **H...hello there.

Everyone watched with slight impatience, hoping for someone to come foward and talk to me...and to make sure that it was a genuine female speaking to me. Four minutes passed before someone came online.

**Midnight: **Hi there! Welcome to the Family Circle chatrooms. My name is Midnight.

"_Oh my!_" Ian said, ruffling my hair. "That means you're not a lost cause after all!"

"Um...thanks?" I replied, while typing another message out. "Are...you...a girl...in...real life?"

After another minute of silence, Midnight spoke, or rather typed, once more.

**Midnight: **Of course I am! Here's a photo for reference!

A photo popped up, revealing a girl in a white and blue sailor fuku, along with a matching blue plaid skirt, and her hair tied up with a blue ponytail. Something caught in my throat...was it...love?

"She's...pretty cute!" Utchy noted, seeing the girl's cheery smile. "You found such a good match, Souji!"

"I agree," Ian replied, a smirk playing on his lips. Of course Ian would be interested with the ladies. "Now, why don't you ask her another question, _boy_?"

What to ask her? I felt pressured to give the correct response. I didn't want to disappoint Midnight by showing how I wasn't good around girls. I mean, Katsumaya was pissed off of me and all.

I steeled my nerves and began to type my next question out.

**Ripper: **Will you be my girlfriend?

"EH!" The other Kyoryugers exclaimed after I pressed Enter. I didn't think they expected me to say something so bold immediately..at least, that's what I thought in the time. I wanted to do something when it came to finding love. Is this what it felt like when you ask someone if you want to be together? I hoped that it wasn't like that...if it did, then it would feel very awkward.

"When I said that we're going to find someone for you to date, I didn't mean you had to be in a relationship on the second question!" said Amy. "Now she's going to know you're a newbie."

"Well, what else was I supposed to ask?" I said.

"Her shoe size, her family, her favorite foods, books, movies..." Ian counted numerous subjects on his fingers, none of them being 'Let's be girlfriend/boyfriend'. Now I felt like a complete idiot. There was no way that Midnight was going to take me seriously.

**Midnight: **Sure! Let's start dating!

Wait...what?

I double checked the chatroom to make sure I wasn't seeing things. In front of me, as clear as day, were four words that pretty much said, "Yes". Midnight was going to be my girlfriend. I...I didn't know what to say. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, everyone else took the words out of my mouth.

"_Wow!_" Amy cheered once more in English. "That's so amazing!"

"Congratulations, Souji!" Utchy hugged me and pointed to Midnight's photo. "She looks very cute!"

"Eh, the boy's growing up!" Ian added, lightly punching me in the arm. "Tell me when you will have your first real-life date; I have great makeover tips that will help that complexion of yours."

"We'll host a party for the two of you!" Daigo replied, jumping up and down like he ate a bowl of sugar.

"And it will be a **date** to remember!" Nobuharu added. The joke was met with silence, and I had my hands covering my face in total embarrassment. I really hoped Midnight wasn't kidding and really wanted to have a relationship with me, because if not, I was going to be going through my friends' teasing for quite some time.

**0-0-0-0-0**

By mid-April, Midnight and I got to the point where we wanted to see each other in real life, going as far as to reveal our real names (Midnight's real name was Luna, but I still kept calling her Midnight as it made her seem more...mysterious). We would meet in Zaname City on the last Saturday of the month—April 28th—and she would be decked out in a specific cosplay so she'd be easy to identify. I wished that she would wear her blue sailor fuku—as she looked pretty cute in it overall—but the whole costume thing interested me. What could go wrong?

"She's all **dressed up**, don't you think?" asked Nobuharu, as the six of us sat at our usual booth at the Tiger Boy Restaurant. Midnight's usual ponytail was replaced with her hair down to the waist, and she dressed in a periwinkle and white striped long-sleeved shirt along with an orange vest with fur trim, and a pair of "nerd glasses". Amy was already doing an online search.

"The character is called Carly Nagisa," she said, turning her laptop around so I could see the images accumulated online. "And she has a crush on this guy named Jack Atlas!" Amy clicked on another tab that showed this so-called 'Jack Atlas'. Just one glimpse of the character's spiky blond hair told me that he was going to be the exact _opposite_ of me.

"Eh!" said Daigo. "You know what would be cool, Souji?"

_Oh no..._I thought to myself. _Please don't tell me what I think you're going to, Daigo. Please, PLEASE don't say..._

"We'll get you to dress up as Jack Atlas to Midnight's Carly!" Daigo said, pumping a fist into the air. "What do you say?"

"Souji would look like such a gentleman in white," Utchy chuckled. "He'd make an exact opposite to Ian over here."

"Maybe Souji can become such a charmer with ladies like I am if he was this 'Jack Atlas'," Ian smirked, kissing one of the Zyudenchi in his hands. "So, what do we have to do?"

The following week after classes and training, I was in Amy's house, simultaneously texting Midnight on the chatrooms, and being measured for the cosplay that I was going to endure. Daigo, who somehow is skilled at sewing, along with Nobuharu, who helped sew his niece's clothes every now and then, were the ones who helped make sure my coat was crafted with the best of care. Amy scrounged up some old nylon leggings to form makeshift wig caps while she also took care of stylng all of the spikes for my wig. I declined asking for a Duel Disk though; I needed my arm free to use my sword if need be.

A week before the date, the costume was finished and I was fitted for the first time in the Uzuki Manor. The wig made my head itch, the coat weighed me down, I was sweating all over despite wearing all white, and I had to wear a pair of platform boots to simulate my Jack towering over Midnight's Carly. I nearly tripped on them after taking just three steps toward Amy.

"Keep practicing!" Amy giggled, clasping my hands. "Come on, hold my hand and-"

"SOUJI-KUN!" A familiar voice cried out. I turned to see Katsuyama rushing into the mansion with a bento in hand. "Your father told me I'd find you-" She stared at me in my outfit, clasping Amy's hands. It was one of those situations when someone walked in and thought that the scenario was entirely different than what it truly was.

"Um...Katsuyama..."I stammered, retracting my hands from Amy. "This...this is, um..."

"Souji-kun...Souji-kun no baka!" Katsuyama ran off, on the verge of tears. I tried to run after her, completely forgetting the boots I wore. I stepped on the hem of my coat instead, and fell flat on my stomach. Amy was at my side, helping me rise to my knees, while Daigo and Utchy raceed off to make sure Katsuyama wasn't too crushed by what she probably saw. I looked back at Amy's laptop, seeing a string of conversations from Midnight while I was busy practicing my posture.

**Midnight: **I planned reservations to the Blake Belladonna Hot Pot restaurant a week in advance. If you want other things to do, Zaname City has an onsen that you can relax in.

**Midnight: **Also, be very careful of dancing groups, especially if they hold locks in hands. Trust me, you'll thank me for this later.

**Midnight: **So, are you excited for our date next week, Souji Ripper-kun?

Focusing my weight on the boots, I took a step forward, then another. I sat down in front of the laptop and froze a bit, blushing at reading Midnight's personal nickname for me. Should I continue this date with her? I already hurt Katsuyama's feelings...if I continued with the date, I felt like I'd be cheating in a sense. I was starting to find love...or at least maybe I was finding a person that I related to. Love was weird.

"What do I do?" I asked Ian. Ian looked into my eyes, and I was thinking that he started to truly understand my dilemma. Perhaps he had a girl that he fell in love with for the first time, and maybe he had to go through the types of dilemmas I was facing. He approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder...which was weird because I was slightly taller than him by about an inch with those boots.

"Sometimes, you follow your heart," he answered. "You decide what's right. If you love Midnight, then go to her and have a good time on your date. Go on, _boy_."

I took a glance at Nobuharu and Amy, the two also nodding their heads to support my decision. I knew what I had to do. I was going to see Midnight, and nothing would stop me. Smiling, I sent my reply.

**Ripper: **I'm ready, Midnight. Thanks for the head's up. What time is dinner next Saturday?

**0-0-0-0-0**

Finally, the day had come. April 28th, 2012.

Katsuyama hadn't spoken to me ever since she accidentally barged in on my "dating practice". Daigo and Utchy told me that it was best to leave her alone for the time being. Whenever Katsuyama and I crossed paths at at school, she would just hand me items, but not even look my way. It sounds a bit strange, but I would've loved it if she called me an idiot rather than give me the cold shoulder. I'd talk to her the Monday after the date, and tell her the truth. Whether or not she'd forgive me was up to her. I couldn't live her life, after all.

Dad was kind enough to send me some money to buy something nice for Midnight. Amy also went shopping with me to find the perfect gift for her. Ian took the time to give me some wooing tips on how to make Midnight swoon in my arms. Nobuharu gave me a notebook full of jokes to try out. Utchy suggested that Midnight and I discuss ice cream flavors and share a dessert after dinner. Daigo's contribution was that I find a dance club to get closer to Midnight. All in all, I was both grateful that my friends were helping me and slightly annoyed that they were getting in my space.

**Gaburincho! Deinoschaser!**

Pointing the Gaburevolver on the ground, I summoned my Deinoschaser bike, following a set of instructions Midnight emailed me the night before. Amy and the others were going to come a little later to help me prepare the Jack Atlas costume, seeing as it would be hard to have the mousse-styled wig in a backpack without the chance of it being crushed on my way to Zaname City. I had to do this though. No matter what, I wanted to see Midnight.

I would pursue this feeling deep in my chest, no matter where it lead to. Midnight was waiting for me, and I would not run away from her.

* * *

**A/N: I haven't done these in a while, huh?**

**This story is in dedication to MasterDramon, who helped me find inspiration to keep writing again. I don't know where I'd be without with him. Thus the cosplays of Carly Nagisa and Jack Atlas are in tribute to him, and the story that rekindled my desire to write once more, "My Dark King". Thank you for your kindness, Dramon. I couldn't have done it without you.**


	2. Give the Warmth

**Give the Green Light**

**2: Give the Warmth **

"_I don't think you can fake warmth. You can fake lust, jealousy, anger; those are all quite easy. But actual, genuine warmth? I don't think you can fake it._

_-Keira Knightley_

Zaname City was unlike anything I had ever seen. The first thing that I saw was the giant tower that watched over the whole city, like some sort of mechanical guardian. From the map in my hand, that would've been Yggdrasil Tower. Luna said that they did lots for the city—building public projects, funding for the arts, etc. It seemed to be quite a peaceful city—why have I not heard of it before.

I heard music from speakers. I slowly drove toward an outside stage, where people watched a group of performers dance, the audience waving blue squares of cloth in their hands to show their support. Daigo would've jumped to the moon if he saw the scene. Most likely, his experiences with dancing was from those years staying in South America, learning capoeira and all that to pay for his travels. He had to learn how to fend for himself, after all. He once treated us to a delicious homemade Brazilian steakhouse dinner—I don't think anyone was willing to fight after eating something that good.

Knowing that I had to get ready, I continued to ride toward ne of the landmarks I researched a few days ago—the Heart of Clear Water onsen. It was said that if you floated on the waters while sleeping, it could burn away the impurities held within. Of course, that was all hyperbole to boost sales...but you had to admit it was interesting.

The sun was starting to set as the Deinoschasers finally made it to the onsen. I got off, seeing the Deinoschus growl before speeding away—hopefully, no one would actually pay attention to mechanized dinosaurs with a wheel to replace their feet. Hopefully.

I entered the onsen, seeing banners of women wearing crystal heart pendants around their necks, some bathing underneath the shade of a crystal tree, and there were nightingales that chirped their sweet songs. It gave a sense of serenity and peace, like nothing could corrupt it.

I went to the receptionist, going through my reservation I placed on the same day I learned about the onsen, and walked toward the locker room to put my backpack and clothes away. I feel strange not to be with my sword, or Gaburevolver...then again, I should be glad that I was able to enter the onsen without being kicked out for carrying weapons. Besides, I was going to be away from them for an hour or so, and there hadn't been a Deboth attack recently...what could possibly go wrong?

After stripping myself of my clothes, I walked to the showers, pouring cold water over my body. I felt relief when the water hit my body. After swordsmanship practice, chronicling the powers of the Zyudenchi, and having to practice posture by balancing books on my head and walking around my own abode five times a day to make sure that I kept my chin up (literally and metaphorically), it would be a relief just to not have anything bother me.

And speak of the devil...

Just as I was ready to dip my arms into icy water, other patrons entered the showers. Something about them made me feel embarrassed for being naked around them. I mean...I think one of them was kissing another...the one with the white stripe in his hair looked like he wanted to...to...I had to stop my thoughts there as a boy with short brown hair similar to mine and glasses, sat next to me. He smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder, but something felt so _wrong_ about this whole scenario.

"Oh, who are you?" he asked me. "You're kinda cute, you know? I'm Hideyasu."

"Um..." I stammered, watching the five other men sit on the other stools, preparing to bathe themselves in the same cold water that I was using. "My name is Souji. Souji Rippukan."

Hideasyu smiled and leaned forward, stroking my face. At that point, I would've taken Nobuharu's puns than the awkwardness going on. Hideyasu's lips were close to mine...close enough for us to kiss. Um...what?

"Isn't that such a cute name, Kota?" Hideyasu turned to one of his friends. Kota—the boy adjacent to the ones with their ears pierced—turned around, while Hideyasu grasped my shoulders. I shot a glance at Hideyasu, feeling like I was being judged by these men. I wanted to die right now.

"Of course," Kota answered, smiling at me. I felt somewhat disgusted by it, though. "Except he's not as adorable as Ryoji, Micchy or Kaito-kun here. Isn't that right, Rippupu~"

"R...Rippupu?" I repeated. "W...what do you mean by that? Well, I do have an online persona named...R...Ripper."

"Rippupu, Rippupu~" I heard Hideyasu sing. He giggled and splashed himself with water. "Come on Rippupu, let's get to know each other in the hot springs!"

No. I don't want this. I don't want this at all. Someone, please HELP ME.

"W...wait, but I have to get ready!" I screamed. Of course, that fell on deaf ears as Hideyasu dragged me out of the showers. I nearly slipped on water as Hideyasu practically carried me to the hot springs. Normally, I would've loved taking a relaxing bath, but I didn't want to do it with some guy who looked just like me, who gave me stupid nicknames, and who had no idea that I'd love to be left alone before my date.

Instead, I sighed as I was pushed into the hot water, feeling it warn my chilly skin. I swam to the opposite side of the hot spring, hoping to keep my distance from them. Unfortunately, they all wanted a piece of me, staring at me with...curiosity, perhaps? No, it seemed to be a darker version of curiosity. It was like I was a rabbit about to be torn apart by hyenas. Hideyasu nuzzled against my shoulder, and Kota stroked one of my arms. I was being poked and stroked and who knows what, and I felt like I was going to die out of embarrassment. Plus the two older men, that accompanied these five boys that wouldn't keep their hands away from me, were busy with a shoulder massage. The one with the white streak in his hair was talking, but I had no idea what they were saying over my heart pounding loudly against my chest. I could only pick up pieces of their conversation.

"You've been so tense lately, Takatora. Please, allow me to alleviate you of all of that...tension."

"Mmm..." That must've been Takatora. "Guess your fingers do more than typing data...maybe next time you could let me-"

"Shh..." The man with the white streak in his hair turned to me, a grin on his face. It was like he was a very large cat. "We're in the presence of virgins."

"V...Virgin?" I had no idea howto react to that statement. I mean, I never even had my first kiss yet, and I've just started to dating! I haven't even met Midnight face-to-face. What I'd do for my sword right now to defend me from these...assailants.

"The way you blush shows that you're not so...intimate yet," Kota grabbed my arm as he said that, his face so close to my own. I felt so trapped and confused with all ofthis. "Come on Kaito, let's introduce him to the world of...passion."

Kaito, the one with the earrings, swam toward me, not even saying a word. I looked into his eyes and saw nothing. There were no emotions on his face, as if someone drained them out of his very being. I was grabbed by Ryoji and Micchy (I just couldn't tell which one was which), who sandwiched me between their bodies. Hideyasu had his arms around my waist, leaving me unable to escape this living hell.

"We'll loosen you up for a little night fun," That was Micchy...I think. I'm just too confused to understand what was going on. "Come on, openup for us..."

"I...I can't," I answered, pushing away from them. "I have a date with my girlfriend coming up...I...really don't think this is necessary. Please don't do this."

"Why not, Rippupu?" And that was Ryoji speaking that time...probably. "Hot springs are for bonding, and _we_ want to bond with _you_."

_No, I don't want to bond. I want to get out of here! _Those were the thoughts in my head as I was flipped over so my back was exposed. I was going to be raped by guys. This was not how my night was going to go! I was trapped...there was no way out!

I felt fingers massage my shoulders. I held my breath, afraid that they would use that time to do...other things to me. After a few seconds those fingers rubbed small circles across my shoulder blades and down my back. Oh, that felt good...

I don't know what happened after that. All I remembered was this dream, of Midnight and I dancing underneath a starry sky like in _Cinderella_. At the stroke of midnight we would kiss...

I heard an alarm blaring from somewhere. I woke up and immediately rushed out of the hot springs. I didn't even look back as someone—probably Hideyasu—told me to come back. I had to go, had to hurry...had to see Midnight. I prayed that she didn't witness any of that—she'd never want to have a date with me ever again, or worse, chat online.

Grabbing a clean towel as I entered the main building, I asked the receptionist about an alarm. She looked at me funny, saying that they usually didn't have alarms or the like. I didn't have time to ask what I heard as I went back to my locker to get dressed. I just wanted to get away before those touchy-feely boys wanted to do something _other_ than give me massages. I highly doubt the other Kyoryugers would believe my story, so it was best to stay quiet about it.

Once I had my green school blazer on me, I carried my bag out of the door. I barely walked three steps away from the onsen, when Amy appeared out of nowhere, carrying the neatly ironed white coat for my cosplay. She herself was dressed in a black sailor fuku, leading me to understand what she and the others were going to be doing tonight.

"_Wow!_" Amy exclaimed. "Now that you're all nice and squeaky clean, you can get ready for a sweet date with Midnight. Come on! Let's go!"

And before I could say, "Vamola Mucho!", I was dragged onto Amy's own Deinoschaser, desperately holding onto dear life.

**0-0-0-0-0**

My friends lead me to the local park, pushing me into the public restrooms to prepare for the night ahead. Daigo took the time to stick bobby pins in my hair, so it could all fit underneath the pantyhose wig cap covering my head, before placing the scratchy wig on top of that. Utchy made sure my arms went through the sleeves of the coat, pulling it down so that it wasn't bunched up anywhere. With the white platform boots on me, I looked taller...but I really didn't feel like I was someone else other than me. That, and the wig made the back of my neck itch—it was probably from the type of hair spray Amy used to keep the spikes up.

"You look pretty _brave_ already, Souji!" Daigo exclaimed, circling me. He placed his hands on my shoulders, brushing away imaginary dust. "You'll win Midnight's heart in no time."

"I guess so..." I replied, more focused on the slight ringing in my ears than how I would sweept Midnight off of her feet. I massaged my ear, muttering, "This ringing just won't go away."

"What ringing?" asked Utchy, looking around. "I don't hear anything."

"Back at the hot springs, I heard this strange alarm," I turned back at the mirror, adjusting the coat, spreading my legs apart to make sure that I didn't accidentally step on the ends of the coat. I still felt awkward, tryng to imitate a "Jack Atlas Glare" by narrowing my eyes. Instead, I looked like I was just forcing it on myself. "I asked the receptionist if they had an alarm like that, but they don't. It also felt like I was the only one who heard it. I'm probably hallucinating all of this."

"It's probably nerves, Souji," Utchy suggested, patting my back. "You'll do fine! Remember what we taught you."

I closed my eyes as I recalled the list of items to look out for. "Be courteous to your date, compliment her on her looks, make her laugh, treat her to something sweet and...oh yeah, take her out to a club and dance the night away." I sighed and opened my eyes, looking at both Utchy and Daigo. "I really don't think this is all necessary. We're not going to be engaged...or anything."

"Need we remind you that _you_ were the one who asked Midnight to be your girlfriend?" Daigo teased. I had to resist the urge to shoot him in the chest with the Gaburevolver. Why does everyone have to keep mentioning that? "Now come on, go out there and show her what you're made of."

"Dinner's not until 8, though." I looked at my cellphone, noting that the time was around 7:35 PM.

"So?" Daigo grinned, pushing me out of the bathroom. Sometimes, I imagined that his time around the world made him slightly...feral. "Come on, let's get her something nice. Do you know what she's like?"

"Um, I think she's looking for this specific card and all..." Utchy also shared the same smile on his face. That wasn't a good sign.

"Then off we go!" Daigo cheered, running out of the bathroom, grabbing my hand as we rushed out of the park. "Off to Neverland!"

_What did I get myself into? _I thought to myself, trying my hardest to simultaneously catch up with Daigo and not track mud on my boots. The last thing I needed to show Midnight was that I was such a slob!


End file.
